Cloth shearing machine



May 12, 1936; c. COOLIDGE ET AL.

CLOTH SHEARING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed NOV. 2, 1932 y 1 1936- c. H. COOLIDGE ET AL 2,040,294

CLOTH SHEARING MACHINE Filed Nov-. 2, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 12, 1936- c. H. COOLIDGE ET AL 2,040,294

CLOTH SHEARING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2, 1932 S'Sheet's-Sheet 3 y 12, 1936- cl H COOLIDGE ET AL v 2,040,294

' CLOTH SHEARING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 c. H. COQLIDGE ET AL 2,040,294

CLOTH SHEARING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Edwin jmrbze fly Mann /s Patented May 12, 1936 CLOTH SHEARING MACHINE Charles H. Coolidge and Edwin H.

Marble,

Worcester, Mass, assignors to Curtis & Marble Machine Company, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 2, 1932, Serial No. 640,824

19 Claims.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a cloth shearing machine with means by which the interruption to the shearing action necessitated by the seams by which two lengths or ends ,of cloth are sewed together can be controlled so that if, in addition to the seam, some other obstruction is encountered near the seam or two obstructions anywhere, the interruption will be caused automatically to .be extended to include the two obstructions, leaving as much space on each side of the area between said two obstructions as would be the case if there were only one; to provide a detector device located in such a way that it is held in operative position by gravity and provided with means for immediately restoring it to its initial position after it has acted and means by which the clothprotecting means is rendered active; to provide a trip switch operated by said detecting device and a time delay switch also operated by it for controlling the time during which the shear or revolver and cloth rest are separated to interrupt the shearing action; to provide a time delaymechanism which is connected up to the machine so that it will operate in proportion to the speed of the cloth under all conditions and will delay the return of the shearing device to operative condition in case of an additional obstruction being encountered on the cloth; to provide this time-delay with mechanism which will make it certain to work and effective to produce the delayed action whenever the necessity arises, and to provide means whereby the delayed action mechanism controls the operation of means for tipping the cloth rest or lifting or lowering the shearing revolver to interrupt the shearing action.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a cloth shearing machine constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, as indicated by the arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation looking from the inside of the detector and latch mechanism in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3; 1 4

Fig.5 is an end view of the same, taken in the opposite direction, as indicated by the arrow 5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similarto Fig. 5 but showing the latch tripped and the circuit closed;

Fig. '7 is an elevation of the time delay mechanism shown in its non-active position;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the same on the 1ine,88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a view of the same with the parts in the position assumed after the electromagnet has operated to bring it back to starting position;

Fig. 10 is a view, partially in section, of the thruster, which is shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 11 and 12 are wiring diagrams showing .the parts in two different positions, and

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic view of the timedelay mechanism and switches connected therewith, shown in working position.

This invention is applicable toshearing ma- .chines in which lengths of fabric are sheared continuously, being connected together end to end by a seam. The use of extremely thin fabric v of shearing machine that this invention is shown i as being applied.

' A well-known type of shearing machine is shown as mounted on a frame I0 having a power shaftl l driven from any desired source of power. This shaft, through suitable pulleys with belts, or sprocket wheels and chains, or any other means, drives the shaft of the breast or draft roll l2. It also drives the several shears or revolvers l3 and It, the latter drive not being shown.

The cloth is shown as passing through themachine and as having a' transverse seam 9, as previously mentioned. The cloth passes under a guide rod 8 over a cloth conveying or spreading roll 15, over guide rolls l6 and IT to one of the revolvers l4 and a tiltable rest l8 underneath it. Then the cloth passes, as usual, to the other revolver l4 and the second rest I8 where the top surface of the fabric is sheared, then passes over suitable guides to the revolvers l3 with the other tilting rests l9, where the under surface of the cloth is sheared. From this the cloth passes over a guide roll 20 and then over the breast or draft roll l2 against which it is pressed by a nip roll 2| operated by gravity. The cloth passes half way around the breast roll and in a similar way half way around a roll 22 and out of the machine, as indicated by the arrow.

The purpose of the invention is to provide means for tilting the rests l8 and I9 or raising or lowering the revolvers l3 and l 4 when the seam 9 comes to the proper point. The invention involves a detector means which we have shown operating against the side surface of the clothconveying roll i so that when the seam passes over the side surface of this roll, that is, practically over the far side of it, the detector will operate and certain actions will be initiated. The conveying roll I5 and detector can be located at any desired elevation at the feed-in end of the machine.

The detecting device embodies a trip rod'24 suspended by a pair of links 25 from an oscillatable shaft 26 to which the links are fixed. The shaft 24 is provided with aroll 21 and the links at 25 are just long enough so that normally this roll 21 rests against the surface of the clothconveying roll or spreader l 5 with the axes of the two at the same level. This furnishes a sensitive detector which, at the high speeds now used, will swing outwardly, actually out of contact with the cloth, when impinged upon by a seam or projection on the cloth.

On one of the links 25 is located a pivoted latch 28 adapted to come against a stop 29 and held in place by aspring 35., In normal. operation-as indicated for example in Figs..3, 4 and 5, the end of this latch is horizontal and holds up a support 3| for a mercury switch 32 or other circuit-closing device. This support is pivoted at 33 at one end and'is provided with a link 34 pivoted to it and to a solenoid plunger 35. When no obstruction appears on the cloth, the parts remain in the position shown in Figs.'3, 4= and'5, but now when the seam 9 passes over the side of the ,roll 15, as shown in Fig. 6, it will engage the roll 21 and swing the links 25 backas shown in that figure. This action draws the latch 28 out from under the support 3 I which previously rested upon thelatch. Thus the support is allowed to drop about its pivot and swing down to the position shown in Fig. 6, the plunger of the solenoid acting as astop therefor. The mercury in the switch 32 is shifted by this action to, such position as to close the circuit as indicated in.Fig. 12. This detector circuit connects up with the power two electromagnets or solenoids 36 and 31 which are connected in parallel.

In order to adjust the distance between the point of detection and the point of interruption of the shearing action, the roll 15 and detector 21 are mounted on a frame or bracket 62 provided with adjusting slots 63. The point of detection can be adjusted along the path of travel of the cloth to suit the machine for different fabrics, speeds, or other-conditions.

The solenoid 36, being energized, immediately draws up its plunger and restores the support to its horizontal position above the latch 28. The arcuate motion of the detector roll trips the switch, closing the circuit, and energizes the solenoid, which controls the return of the trip to the horizontal position, thus immediately placing the detector means in operative condition. If now the seam 9 has passed, the latch 28 will come to a supporting position immediately. Of course, the mercury switch 32 is opened by the rise of the support 3| and the solenoid is immediately deenergized. This cycle of operations requires less shaft of the breast roll l2 a'timing unit shaft 49 is driven by a chain or belt 4|. On account of this connection, this shaft 49 will always rotate at a speed proportionate to the speed of the cloth through the machine. On this shaft 49 is a screw 42 which rotates constantly when the machine is running. The time delay solenoid 31, upon being energized in the manner above stated, pulls back a dog or engaging finger 43 longitudinally by means of the magnet plunger 44 to which the fin er is pivoted, to the position shown in full lines inFig. 9. The plunger is guided by a guide 39. This finger 43 is provided with an edge at its end which is straight on one side and perpendicular to the axis of the screw and curved on the other side so that it can be pulled back along the screw thread. The plunger 44 is held in horizontal position by the finger 43 resting on the thread. The finger is pivoted to it, so that it constitutes really a supporting means for this plunger.

The pivot pin 45 connecting the finger and plunger projects outwardly and engages an arm 46 on a rest 47 which is pivoted at 43 and carries two mercury switches or equivalent devices 49 and 59, connected in series, so that they move together with the swing of the support 41. A spring5l'acts to keep the arm 46 in contact with the pin 45 at all times.

Now it will be understood that when this electromagnet or solenoid 3! is energized, at the same time that the solenoid 35 is energized, the effect is to pull back the plunger and the finger 43 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 9 and also in Fig. 12. It will be remembered that the screw 42 is rotating continuously and the pitch is in such a direction as immediately to engage the end of the finger 43 and move this finger along in the direction of its axis as the screw rotates. The threads of the screw are shown as V-shaped, with one side substantially normal to the axis of the screw. Now this will continue to operate until the finger finally falls off the end of the screw 42 on a reduced smooth cylindrical portion of the screw. Now there is no further action in that direction and, although the screw always rotates, the'finger 43 and plunger .44 remain stationary until the magnet 37 is energized again. It will be remembered that after energization of this solenoid, the circuit is broken-immediately by the mechanism shown in Fig. 3. a

The two switches 49 and 59 are oppositely placed so that in the position shown in Fig. 11 the switch 59 is on and the switch 49 is off while in the opposite position shown in Fig. 12 these conditions are reversed. This is accomplished by the simple expedient of having the terminals in the two switches placed in opposite ends thereof. By tracing the circuit shown in Figs. 11 and 12, it will be seen that when the arm 46 is in either one of those positions, one of these contact switches will be opened. They are arranged in series with each other and with a motor 52.

Therefore, in these two positions, this motor will be cut off from the power but, by reference to Fig. 13, it will be seen that soon after the finger 43 has engaged with and traveled along the screwthread, the rest 41 will be nearly horizontal and will remain nearly horizontal until the finger is about to drop ofi the screw-thread. In this position both of the switches 49 and 59 are horizontal and closed, consequently the motor is connected with the circuit and in operation.

The motor 52 constitutes a part of a thruster 53, which is pivoted at 54 on the framework. This thruster canbe of a well known type and its interior construction is not a part of this invention, but parts of it are'shown'in Fig. 10 to indi-'- cate the way in which it acts. It could be replaced by any other similar power device such. as an air cylinder and piston and it would be controlled in the same way. This thruster operates a shaft 60 through a lever 55. This lever has a handle, through which certain parts of the machine can be operated manually. The shaft 60 is swung in one direction by the spring 56 and in the other by the thruster. When the thruster .Works it transmits a pull through a link 51, and the mechanism 58 connects with the machine to separate the revolvers and the rests. In this case it moves back the rests. Rods 59 are shown for connecting it with the various rests. This mechanism for operating the rests is not new and is not claimed herein but it will be clear that the completion of a circuit by the action of the arm 46 and the finger 43 on the screw 42 will swing these rests in the right direction to prevent cutting at that particular time.

This invention also can be applied to a machine of a different type in which the rests are stationary but the revolvers I3 and I4 are moved away from the cloth to interrupt the shearing action.

If obstructions in the cloth are so close together that the second one passes the trip mechanism before the engagement finger 43 has completed its travel along the screw, thetime delay magnet 31 will act at the instance of the second obstruction topull the engagement finger back to the head end of the screw. Then it starts a cycle again without the first cycle having been completed.

It is to be noted that the continuously revolving screw, on account of being driven from the shaft of the roll I2, has a speed of rotation at all times directly proportional to the speed of the goods through the machine. Therefore the accompanying delayed action relay is held'in closed position for a length of time which is inversely proportional to the speed of the cloth. It is to be noted that just before the finger 43 completes its mechanically controlled movement, the delayed action switch 49 is opened so that the thruster will stop operatmg. l V

Although we have illustrated and described only one form of the invention, we are aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, we donot wish to be lim-j ited in this respect, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what we do claim is:-

1. In a cloth shearing machine, the combinationwith a shear and cloth rest, of means for separating the shears and cloth restto prevent shearing intermittently, a member around which the cloth passes in its course toward the first shear, a pivot rod thereabove, a pair of links pivotally depending from the rod, a rod carried by said links at the bottom, a latch carried by one of said links, a pivoted support which the latch normally holds in elevated position, the latch being so located that, when an' obstruction on the cloth moves the rod, the latch will be.

moved far enough to release the support, and

' means operated by the support for initiating the pair of links pivotally depending from the. rod, a rod carried by said links at the bottom and having its axis at the same level as the axis of said member, a latch carried by one of said links, a pivoted support which the latch normally holds in elevated position, the latch being so located that, when an obstruction on the cloth passes over the surface of said member, the latch will be moved far enough to release the support, and means operated by the support for initiating the action of said separating means.

. 3. In a device for controlling the separation of a shear and cloth rest in a cloth shearing machine, the combination of a member over which the cloth passes to enter the machine, a substantially horizontally movable detector engaging the cloth passing along the side of said member between the top and bottom thereof and Sosupported that an obstruction on the cloth passing between the member and finger will move the detector, a latch pivotally mounted with respect to'said detector and having a stop for holding it in horizontal position, a pivoted support normally resting on said latch but adapted to be released when the detector is moved outwardly, a switch carried by said support and adapted to be closed by the movement of the support in its descent when released by the latch, and means controlled by the switch for starting to separate the cloth rest from the shear.

'4. In a device for controlling the separation of a shear and cloth rest in a cloth shearing machine, the combination of a roll around which the cloth passes to enter the machine, a substantially horizontally movable detector engaging the cloth passing over the side of said roll and so supported that an obstruction on the cloth passing between the detector and roll will move the detector, a latch pivotally mounted with respect to said'detector and having a stop for holding it in horizontal position, a pivoted support normally resting on said latch but adapted to be released when the detector is moved outwardly, a switch carried by said support and adapted to'be closed by the movement of the support in its descent when released by the latch, a solenoid connected with said switch to be put into connection with a source of power when the switch closes] and means connected with said solenoid for restoring the support to its elevated position practically instantaneously, whereby if the detector moves back to normal position the latch will immediately hold up the support.

5. Ina device for controlling the separation of a'shear and cloth rest in a cloth shearing machine, the combination of a member over which the cloth passes'to enter the machine, a substantially horizontallymovable detector engaging the clothpassing upwardly along the surface of said member and so supported that an obstruction onthe cloth passing between them will move the detector, a latch pivotally mounted with respect to said detector, a pivoted support normally restingon said latch but" adapted to be released when the detector is moved outwardly, a switch carried by said support and adapted to be closed by the movement of the support in its descent when released by the latch, electromagnetic means controlled by the switch for starting the separating means into operation, a F

second electro-magnetic means adapted to be energized by the closing of said switch, and means operated by the second electro-magnetic means for insuring a delayed period of operation of the separating means.

6. In a cloth shearing machine the combination with a shear and cloth 'rest'between which the cloth passes, and means for separating them to interrupt the shearing action, of a detector having a switch, means whereby the detector closes the switch whenever an obstruction on the cloth enters the machine, a solenoid adapted to be energized by the closing of said switch, a screw connected with the machine to be rotated constantly at a speed in proportion to the speed of the cloth, a motor for operating said separating means, a switch mechanism in the circuit of said motor to control its operation, and means operated by said solenoid and engaging said screw for controlling the time during which the said switch mechanism shall be closed to supply current to said motor.

'7. In a time delay mechanism for a cloth shearing machine, the combination with a motor and means operated by the motor for interrupting the cloth shearing operation, of a screw rotatable with the machine and in proportion to the speed of the cloth, a solenoid, a detector, a switch operated by the detector for energizing and deenergizing the solenoid, a plunger for the solenoid extending substantially in the same direction as the axis of the screw, a finger connected with the plunger and adapted to engage the thread of said screw, whereby when the solenoid is energized it will draw the plunger and finger back to the end of the screw, the screw threads being of such hand that they will feed the finger along toward the other end from that point, and a switch mechanism for supplying the motor with power adapted to be closed during a part of the motion only of the screw.

8. In a time delay mechanism for a cloth shearing machine, the combination with a motor and means operated thereby for interrupting the cloth shearing operation, of a detector, a finger, constantly operating means for feeding the finger in one direction, means whereby when the detector is operated by an obstruction on the cloth, the finger will be drawn back to the beginning of its stroke, even if it is then in motion along its path, and means operative for connecting the motor with a source of power only while the finger is moving forward along its path.

9. In a device for controlling the separation of a shear and a cloth rest in a cloth shearing machine, the combination with the shear and cloth rest, of a member over which the cloth passes to enter the machine, a substantially horizontally movable detector supported thereabove in such a position as to engage by gravity the lateral side of said member so that an obstruction on the cloth passing between them will move said detector, a pivoted support normally resting on said detector but adapted to be released when the detector is moved outwardly, and means adapted to be energized by the descent of said support for insuring a delayed period of operation of the separating means.

10. In a cloth shearing machine, the combination with a shear and cloth rest, of means for separating intermittently the shear and cloth rest to prevent shearing, a member around which the cloth passes in its course toward the shear, a rod thereabove, links pivotally depending from the rod, a detector carried by said links at the bottom, a pivoted support held in elevated position by one of the links and adapted to be released and dropped when an obstruction on the cloth moves the detector, and means operated by the 'supportfor initiating the action of said sep arating means.

11. In a cloth shearing machine, the combination with a shear and cloth rest, of means for separating intermittently the shear and cloth rest to prevent shearing, a member around which the cloth passes in its course toward the shear, a rod thereabove, links pivotally depending from the rod, a detector carried by said links at the bottom, a pivoted support held in elevated position by the detector, and arranged to be released and dropped when an obstruction on the cloth moves the detector, means operated by the support for initiating the action of said separating means, and means for insuring a delayed period of operation of the separating means.

12. In a cloth shearing machine, the combination with a shear, a cloth rest, means for intermittently separating them to prevent shearing, and a motor for operating the separating means, of a detector, means controlled by the detector for energizing said motor to cause it to operate the separating means, said detector comprising a freely downwardly depending pivoted member, entirely free to swing from a position in contact with the cloth to a position away from the cloth unimpeded except by its own weight, and gravity operated means for closing a circuit to said motor when the pivoted member is swung to a position away from the cloth.

13. In a cloth shearing operating control device, the combination of a source of power, means operated thereby for interrupting the shearing action without stopping the machine, an electric circuit for supplying energy to said source of power, a switch in said circuit, a cloth carrying roll over which the cloth is fed to the machine, a detector unit comprising a pendent free swinging roll normally in contact with the cloth on the first named roll at a tangent point in the horizontal plane passing through the axes of both rolls, whereby an increase above normal thickness in the cloth will move the pendent roll through an are away from the cloth carrying roll, means whereby said motion of the pendent roll will close said electric circuit which starts the source of power to interrupt the shearing action, and a timing means for terminating the closure of the circuit.

14. In a shearing operating control device for a cloth shearing machine, the combination of a horizontal cloth carrying roll over which the cloth passes to the machine, a horizontal freely swinging detector roll in tangential contact with the cloth on the carrying roll at a point in a horizontal plane passing through the axes of the two rolls, so that a portion of the cloth above normal thickness will swing the detector roll away from the carrier, means whereby the shearing of the cloth will be interrupted when the detector roll so swings, and means whereby, if a second abnormal thickness of the cloth passes over the carrier roll, before the complete cycle of the interruption is completed, a second cycle will commence and be carried through.

15. In a shearing operating control device for a cloth shearing machine, the combination of a horizontal cloth carrying roll over which the cloth passes to the machine, a horizontal freely swinging detector roll in tangential contact with the cloth on the carrying roll at a point in a horizontal plane passing through the axes of the two rolls, so that a portion of the cloth above normal thickness will swing the detector roll away from the carrier roll, means to immediately restore the detector roll to a position against the carrying roll, means whereby the shearing of the cloth will be interrupted when the detector roll so swings, and means whereby, if a second abnormal thickness of the cloth passes over the carrier roll, before the complete cycle of the interruption is completed, a second cycle will commence and be carried through.

16. In a cloth shearing machine for the purpose of controlling the shearing and non-shearing action, the combination of a cloth carrying roll, a detector unit consisting of a detector roll in contact with the face of the cloth in process, entirely across its entire width, said roll being pendently mounted and swingable from a pivot point substantially vertically above the center of the roll, and resting against a vertical length of the cloth in process which said cloth in its normal thickness is in contact with a carrier roll around a portion of which the cloth passes in its course through the machine, said contact between the detector roll and carrier roll being substantially at the horizontal plane through the centers of the said two rolls.

17. In a cloth shearing machine, the combination with a shearing unit, of a detector unit comprising a free swinging pendent roll, a cloth carrying roll located so that the free swinging pendent detector roll shall rest against it by gravity alone and at an angularity from the perpendicular no greater than enough to assure actual contact of the pendent roll against the cloth on said carrying roll, whereby an obstruction on the cloth entering between the two rolls at their point of contact will arc the pendent roll, a shearing unit control device, means whereby the arcuate motion of the detector roll away from the cloth roll, caused by any projection of the cloth will operate said control device to interrupt the shearing action, and the added arcuate motion, caused by the impact against the detector roll of any projection on the cloth at a rapid speed provides an extremely sensitive action of the detector roll.

18. In a cloth shearing machine, the combination with a shearing unit, of a detector unit comprising a free swinging pendent roll, hanging down vertically from an axis above it, a cloth carrying roll so located that the free swinging pendent detector roll shall rest against it at one side by gravity alone and at an angularity from the perpendicular no greater than enough to assure actual contact of the pendent roll against the cloth on said carrying roll at a point,

in a plane substantially horizontal, that passes through the axis of both carrying roll and pendent roll, whereby an obstruction on the cloth entering between the two rolls at their point of contact will arc the pendent roll, a shearing unit control device, means whereby the arcuate motion of the detector roll away from the cloth roll, caused by any projection of the cloth will operate said control device to interrupt the shearing action, and the added arcuate motion, caused by the impact against the detector roll of any projection on the cloth at a rapid speed, provides an extremely sensitive action of the detector roll.

19. In a cloth shearing machine, the combination with a cutting unit and a cloth rest, of means for separating them to interrupt the shearing action, a detector having a part adapted to be moved by the passage into the machine of an obstruction on the cloth, a solenoid connected to said detector, the movement of the detector being adapted to energize said solenoid, means for deenergizing the solenoid, thus restoring the detector to operative condition, said separating device comprising said detector, a motor, a switch in the motor circuit, a solenoid controlling said switch, means for energizing and deenergizing the last named solenoid simultaneously with the solenoid connected to the detector, and means movable in proportion to the speed of the cloth for controlling the length of time during which the separating means will be in action.

CHARLES H. COOLIDGE. EDWIN H. MARBLE. 

